Welcome to Pet Rescue By Judy

2009 Calendar Contest

You're going to love this! We are putting together a 2009 Calendar, but rather than just slap a few cute photos together, we are inviting you to submit photos of your rescued pet along with its story! The pet doesn't have to be from Pet Rescue By Judy, it just has be a rescued pet! We will select 6 cats and 6 dogs for the calendar. Selection will be based on the quality and visual appeal of the photo and the story behind the adoption. The calendar will include valuable coupons for local businesses and be available for purchase at our adoption events. This is a fundraiser, so there is a submission fee of $10. The calendars will be sold for $20. If you would like to submit your pets photo and story, please print and complete an Entry Form and e-mail us your photo. Deadline is September 1st. We are so excited about this calendar! We hope you are too!!!

Adoption Events

This weekend we will be holding adoption events for cats and kittens at the Oviedo Petsmart on Saturday. On both Saturday and Sunday we will have dogs and, for the first time, cats at the Lake Mary Petsmart. For times, addresses and map links, go to our Events Calendar. For a complete listing of our available pets, please check out our Cat List and Dog List for an individual introduction to each of our animals looking for a new forever home. If there is room in your home and in your heart, please take a moment to take a look...

Jess The Katrina Rescue Is Home

After Hurricane Katrina, Judy rescued 100 cats and dogs from Louisiana. She was able to find the original owners of three of them ~ please microchip your pets! She found new homes for 96 others. But no one ever wanted to adopt Jess, a senior Terrier/Shepherd mix. Week after week, Jess went to adoption events, month after month she waited. She spent time in a couple of different foster homes (that's how we found out that she loved cats, with ketchup please!) but she never found that forever home. That was really ok with Jess. She loved Judy and Michelle, always greeting them with a happy wag of her tail, a toothless grin on her face. What a goober! But time went by and her age began to show. Just like you, we grow very attached to our pets, whether we have them temporarily or, as in Jess' case, long term, and we did all we could to keep her healthy. We gave her glucosamine for her joints, soft food for her gums, organic food for her digestive system,.... But we could only do so much. The day came when Jess struggled to get up, the eyes just weren't as bright, her appitite declined. But the tail continued to wag. On August 14th Michelle gave Jess one last teary hug, and Judy wrapped her loving arms as our vet helped her slip gently to sleep. We don't know why Jess never found her forever home. But then again, maybe she finally has....

Why Do We Rescue???

People ask me all the time why I got involved in rescue. Some days I wonder myself. It can be so heartbreaking, looking at the faces of the abandoned pets, the stressed-out volunteers, the desperate owners facing foreclosure,.... yes, sometimes I wonder why too. And then we have a story like Trey, and everything falls into focus. Trey, a dog who survived being hit by a car, having a leg amputated, waiting months and months for a new home and then ~ ta da! ~ finding the perfect home with JoAnne and Jerry. They sent us a video of Trey playing and our wonderful Gisele suprised us by turning it into a You Tube video. It gives me chills and makes me smile. I hope it does the same for you. I hope that you will not only view it here but that you'll take the time to go to it on You Tube, rate it 5 stars, mark it "Favorite" and add a comment. These actions will raise it in the You Tube ratings so perhaps it will come to the attention of those who would like to help.

Why Adopt Instead of Buy?

Every day I have converstations with people about our dogs and cats. And every day I am suprised at the statements that I hear. One person actually said to me, "I don't want a used pet." Another said to me, "You just don't know what you are getting with a rescued pet. They always come with baggage." Such statements are difficult for me to hear but easy for me to respond to.

When it comes time to add a pet to your home, you pretty much have three choices: a pet store, a breeder or a rescue. 95% of pets in a pet store come from puppy mills. Dogs are considered a commodity in puppy mills, kept in small, often unsanitary, crates, bred continuously until worn out, with no regard to genetic problems. These puppies can have physical issues that present themselves later in life, or worse yet, overbreeding can result in the extreme display of undesirable personality traits ~ hyperactivity, territorial instincts, aggressiveness..... If you go the breeder route, you have to be extremely careful of the breeder. Some breeders are not a lot better than puppy mills is that they do not screen their dogs for genetic problems or personality issues. We call these backyard breeders. They may have a cute dog that they breed with a neighbors because they think it will be a fun experience for the family, or they may breed their dog for the extra income. If they have not had the dogs thoroughly screened first by a vet and researched its family tree, they do not really know what they are producing. My "favorite" ones are those who crossbreed and create names for them like "Golden Doodle," "Bully Bassett," or "Shihdoodle."

A quality breeder invests in genetic and personality screening, but you can expect to pay a significant amount for their puppies. They produce only dogs that are up to breed standards and they screen their potential families extensively. If you are determined to get a purebreed, a quality breeder is the only way we would recommend.

So why would you consider a rescue dog? Most of them come to us due to family difficulties ~ financial downturns, moving, divorce and such. They are wonderful pets with no issues who are as mystified as to their situation as we are. Some of them come out of abusive situations. These are the ones for which my heart breaks. They cower when a newspaper page is turned, a hand is raise, a person moves quickly toward them. They long to trust and be loved, and in a safe home they usually quickly turn into the exuberant pets they were meant to be. Some pets come to us because of unacceptable behavior ~ aggressiveness, not housebroken, hyperactivity. We clearly identify these issues to potential adopters. We work with the pets while they are in our care to help overcome them. We even have professional dog trainers who work with some of them and their adopting families to ensure that they behavior is modified. In other words, we strive for no returns due to suprises. Our goal is to match the right pet with the right family. Our screeners will frequently approve a family to adopt but direct them toward a more approriate animal than the one for which they applied.

No one can promise you that the dog or cat you take into your home will be perfect, whether from a pet store, a breed or a rescue. But we can promise that we will do our utmost to match you with the right animal, that we will be honest in our assessment of the pets in our care, and that, when you adopt a rescued pet, you have saved a life. There is a certain joy in just that last statement ~ you have saved a life!

Calling All Fosters!!!

Check out puppies Walden and Wonder playing on the couch! Wouldn't you love to have a bundle of fun in your home? Well, now's the time because........It's baaack ~ kitten and puppy season. We are already being slammed with litters, more than we can handle, as these are in addition to the regular number of dogs and cats we are asked to rescue. PLEASE, can you help by being a foster? Every time someone fosters a pet, we can say yes to one more abandoned animal. Puppies and kittens are in special need of fostering in a home environment. This is where they learn to trust people and to be family-friendly. We always place them in sets of at least two, as they teach each other how to play appropriately plus keep each other busy. If you foster for us, we will provide the food and vet care. All we ask is that you provide the love. If you are interested, please read about our foster care program here. And yes, you will be sad to see the pet go when it is adopted, but you will know that you helped save its life. Isn't that worth risking your heart?

And while I'm talking about kittens and puppies, can I make a plug for providing your pet with a canine or feline companion? If you could see how puppies and kittens play all day long with their littermates until they are tuckered out, there is no way you would consider adopting a kitten or puppy by itself and then taking it home to be alone all day. Dogs love to be with dogs. Kittens love to be with kittens. Cats, well, cats ususally enjoy feline companionship but will be darned if they'll tell anyone! The presence of another pet in the home will not detract from their love and loyalty to you. It will just add another dimension to their lives, giving them someone to play with when you are not available. Please consider it. If you can't afford more than one pet, consider fostering for us as a way to provide companionship. You'll be glad you did!

Sharing Judy's Dream

It's been a year since I spoke to Judy for the first time, offering to foster a dog. Our Tenakee had died just before Christmas and we weren't ready to "replace" him, but we did miss having a dog in the home. That afternoon Judy arrived at my house with Odin, a Silky Terrier, the first of many fosters. Somehow or another, a month later I was the designated "webmaster," having set up a new interactive website through which the public could view our pets, and apply online to adopt, foster, sponsor or volunteer. (My family thought it was funny since I have trouble with e-mail, but RescueGroups.org provided step-by-step help ~ thank you Richard and company!) The last year has seen tremendous change. We now have an army of volunteers, many dedicated fosters, tireless adoption screeners, countless supporters. Sadly, due to vague complaints, Judy was forced to move from Orange County. But rather than closing up shop, her dream has grown. Judy believes the time is right for Central Florida to have an animal shelter that will not euthanise any adoptable cat or dog. People are starting to catch her dream, her vision. The word is spreading. A team of students from Valencia college just created this marvelous video that shows Judy's heart better than I can put to words. In addition to watching it, I ask that you click here to go to You Tube, then hit the 5th star to rate it, click on Favorite, and then, finally, add a comment. These actions will cause this video to come to the attention of those who might not yet have heard of Pet Rescue By Judy. Perhaps one of them will hold the key to moving us forward. Please, help us build a safe shelter where the abandoned pets of Central Florida can have a place to live, with bright rooms, green grass, room to run, while waiting for their forever home.

Building a Shelter One Penny At A Time

How wonderful you all have been, sharing your ideas for fundraising, both big and small. One of the easiest is Good Search. When ever someone uses http://www.goodsearch.com/ instead of google or yahoo, one penny is donated to Pet Rescue By Judy when selected as the designated charity. How simple is that? We already have over $280 coming our way. Sure, that's not a whole lot, but imagine to what it can grow! So the next time you do an internet search, please use goodsearch.com!!!

ABC's Extreme Home Makeover Petition Drive Goes Over 40,000 Signatures!!!

Did you know that Judy is being considered for an Extreme Shelter Makeover? And that over 40,000 people from around the state and across the country have signed the petition of support? To encourage signatures on our petition, the wonderful and talented Gisele has produced a youtube video. Click and enjoy Vote For Judy! When on the youtube site, remember to click on "Favorite", 5 Stars, and comment. This will raise it higher in the youtube viewing menuing and cause greater national exposure! Now, back to our story.....

Guess what! Extreme Home Makeover is considering building us a shelter! This is what happened: Rose, the owner of the Red Lion Pub, contacted them a couple of months ago and told them about how Judy lost her kennel due to zoning issues. They were intrigued because they had never done anything like a kennel before, so they asked for a video. That was a trick, getting a video of Judy and her home without her knowing it but fortunately our treasurer, Abel, is pretty darn clever and pulled it off. Weeks went by with nary a word, then a phone call: can you get together a petition to show local support for Pet Rescue By Judy? Can we ever!!! And that's where we are now. If you would like to sign the petition, click here or go directly to http://www.petitiononline.com/sep2007/petition-sign.html. And let your friends know too. And keep your fingers crossed! Of course, we still need the 3 to 5 acres on which to build the shelter, but we are hoping that someone will step forward and help us in that area too. I don't suppose any of you know a banker or investment councillor with a client who needs a tax break..... The down side to all of this is that we had to let the cat out of the bag and tell Judy about the possibility of Extreme Home Makeover helping. She was stunned and thrilled. And afraid to hope. But hope is what has kept her going all these years! Let's all hope together!
We welcome out-of-state signatures too as a way to demonstrate national support for rescues. Imagine if, as a result of this show, people became aware of how their local rescues work on just a hope and a prayer, if they got behind the effort, if they just spayed and neutered their pets!!!
Recently Judy confided in me that she had hoped that we would get 1,000 signatures. I realized then how little she understands the impact she has had on the Central Florida area. Thank you all for letting her know! Read recent articles in the East Orlando Sun, the Orlando Sentinal, and the Central Florida Future !

Our pets love to sleep on Kuranda beds, but we do not have enough for everyone. If you would like to donate a bed at discounted price, please click here.

Shopping For Your Dog To Help Rescued Pets!!!

Okay, seriously, you have to check out this website, Helping Udders. Gotta love the name! You can buy all kinds of cool stuff for your dog, things that aren't available through local stores. But here is the neatest part ~ when you designate Pet Rescue By Judy as your charity of choice, we will receive 10-25% of the proceeds from the sale! Wow! This is soooo cool!!! I think I'll use some more exclamation points! !!!!!!!!! There, that feels better. So go to Helping Udders, spend lots of money spoiling your dog and rationalize that you're only doing it to help the poor abandoned pets at Pet Rescue By Judy!

From Great Sorrow Comes Great Blessings

Sue Endowment Sometimes in life you come along side someone and you enjoy their company, their interests, their sparkle, and you feel fortunate. That's how we felt about Sue Thomas Zalewski. Sue loved gardening, craft making and country music, but her passion was for rescued pets. She was always finding ways to help stray animals, often volunteering at rescue shelters as well as providing food and comfort to them wherever she lived. Is it any suprise that, after moving to Oviedo, she became a long-time avid supporter and volunteer with Pet Rescue By Judy? Despite several medical conditions that left her disabled and constantly exhausted, Sue gave her all to help our animals. She was always the one we could rely on to foster abandoned cats and dogs, drive them to vet appointments, to nurse and nurture them back to health, and then to lovingly say goodbye to them as they left for their forever home. Even when she was attacked by one of the cats and nearly lost her thumb due to the subsequent infection, she did not stop or slow down. Yes, she shared our vision and our passion, and we loved her. On February 15th, 2007, we were rocked to our core when Sue was shot and killed in her own home. She left behind her mother, siblings, four dogs, three cats and a huge hole in our hearts. We held onto her memory and hoped that would be enough. In September we found out it would not have to be. Her brother contacted us on behalf of her family and told us with pride and love that, "in an effort to honor Sue's memory and her life long love of animals, her family and friends have created the Sue Thomas Zalewski Endowment Fund to support Pet Rescue By Judy." They have already raised funds and made an initial contribution, and their hope is that this will help us continue the work that Sue so loved and of which she was such a huge part. They hope to continue to raise additional funds. What happened to Sue was a terrible and devastating tragedy and a tremendous loss for our organization, but her family wants us to remember the good things in her life, and celebrate her love of animals by helping us raise funds to continue our work with stray and abandoned pets. All of us, along with her family, friends and pets, will forever miss Sue, her happy nature, her infectious smile. She will always be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers, for she was taken much too early. If you would like to make a donation in honor of Sue, please send your check, payable to NOHO/Pet Rescue By Judy, to P.O. Box 745, Goldenrod, FL 32733.

Meet Our Favorite A/C and Heating Company!

You may remember a while back that I begged for help with transportation when all of our vans failed the same week. In fact, one day Judy was driving down I-4 when the thing just died. She barely got off onto the shoulder. Of course, there were 7 dogs and 5 cats in the van, so you can imagine how many people were anxious to stop and give her a lift! I've shared with you how we got a phone call from Brian Wrong, the owner of Crums Climate Control, Inc. , how he offered to lend us a van on the weekends since "we're not using it then." Wow! Is that not amazingly generous! I mean, what does he get in return? Well, I'm happy to say that some of you have called Brian for air conditioning service and gotten back to me to rave about the service. Across the board, I have heard how professional, competent and reasonably priced Crums Climate Control has been. If your a/c or heater needs a little loving care, call Brian at 407-644-6601. Thank you, Brian, for supporting us and thank you all for supporting Brian!

Meeting Our Pets....

If you are considering adopting a pet through us, we strongly recommend that you fill out an Adoption Application early in the process, even if you do not have a specific pet in mind. It will speed up the adoption process significantly! We do not have a shelter but instead house our pets in private homes. As a result, all of our adoptions are done by appointment or at adoption events. We are usually at the Oviedo, Lake Mary and East Colonial Petsmarts and Altamonte Springs Petco on Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30-4pm. Please check our Events for these and other scheduled opportunities. If you would like to learn more about a specific pet, please contact the foster parent listed on the pet page or call/e-mail us at our organization numbers.

Have You Adopted A Pet From Us?

If so, please e-mail us a "family photo" and a few comments so we can post them on our new Adopted Families Photo Gallery! It makes us so happy to see our pets settled in to homes that love them forever!

Would You Like To Get Involved?

Would you like to help? We are always in need of Foster Homes . Fostering for a week or a month can make a difference in an animal's life. Also, we welcome help with feeding, cleaning, adoptions, paperwork, photography - whenever you have the time to give, we appreciate you. Apply to be a Volunteer ! And, of course, we are always in need of donations - money, food, crates, towels,etc. You can even come to the aid of a specific animal through our Sponsorship Program . Thank you! And remember, always spay and neuter your pets!!! Here is a thoughtful photo journal to make the point.

Are You Associated With A Rescue Group?

If so, please take a few minutes to look over our website. If you like what you see and think such a website would benefit your rescue, please contact www.rescuegroups.org They are a volunteer organization that hosts websites for rescues throughout the country and they are unbelievable! Through them we are able to provide varying levels of website access to volunteers based on their needs, receive online applications, and list our pets once but have them automatically downloaded to the major rescue pet search sites. All of this for less than $150 a year! The services of Rescue Groups has allowed us to take our rescue to a whole new level, to be more efficient, more responsive, more capable of saving more lives. Please, contact them and see if they can help you. You can just click on the dog paw on the sidebar of this page. And let them know Judy sent you. You'll be glad you did!!! And even if you aren't a volunteer with a rescue, would you consider sending Rescue Groups a donation? They help numerous pets around the country to find new forever homes by offering their service at an incredibly low cost. Please help them continue to help us! Thanks!!!